Monitoring Voice of Korea & clandestine Voice of the People

Voice of Korea is still operating on shortwave.

I monitored the bands from 1115-1156 UTC according to the actual VOK schedule (see post of Wolfgang Bueschel):

receiver:   PerseusSDR

antenna:    Bony-Whip, long-wire (20 meters SW to NE)

location:   outside Pyeoungchang, South Korea

Voice of Korea broadcast segments 1030-1125

 621 kHz    Japanese    at 1115: very poor signal with typical NK military music // 6070, 7580 (?), 9650

3250 kHz    Japanese    at 1115: no signal detected

6070 kHz    Japanese    at 1116: very poor signal with NK military music // 621, 7580 (?), 9650

7580 kHz    Japanese    at 1116: only very strong North Korean noise jamming against whom...?

9650 kHz    Japanese    at 1117: very poor signal, heavy interference from CRI Cantonese on 9645 kHz (-1157)

                        // 621, 6070, 7580 (?), 9650

7220 kHz    Korean      at 1118: not heard, only Voice of Vietnam in Mandarin (-1128)

9435 kHz    Korean      at 1118: not heard, too much noise

6185 kHz    English     at 1119: strong humming, something in the background that may sound like english

9850 kHz    English     at 1119: poor to very poor signal, nothing to identify

6170 kHz    English     at 1122: nothing heard of VOK

9435 kHz    English     at 1125: ID "This is the Voice of Korea" followed by english programmes schedule

Voice of Korea broadcast segments 1130-1225

 621 kHz    Japanese    at 1136: very poor signal with typical NK military music (song played after song

                        of General Kim Il- sung) // 6070

3250 kHz    Japanese    at 1129: no signal detected

                        recheck at 1145: still no signal

6070 kHz    Japanese    at 1136: very poor signal with NK military music // 621

7580 kHz    Japanese    at 1129: VOK ID heard twice, a strong signal followed by ID in Japanese

                        and a second VOK ID with NK noise jamming in the background, approx. 2-3 seconds ahead

                        of foreground signal, NK noise jamming against... whom...?

                         recheck at 1152: very strong VOK signal of Japanese service

                        nothing heard in the background, maybe because of strong foreground VOK signal, still jamming

9650 kHz    Japanese    at 1152: same music as on all VOK frequencies at that time, later Japanese // 621, 6070, 7580 kHz,

                        weak signal

7220 kHz    Chinese     at 1135: song of General Kim Il-sung, followed by ID in Mandarin, followed by second NK military song

                         poor to fair signal

9445 kHz    Chinese     please note that the chinese service was heard on 9445 kHz, not 9435 kHz,

                        9435 carries French at 1130-1225!

                        at 1135: poor signal, same as // 7220 kHz

6185 kHz    French      at 1129: strong humming, ID-signal of VOK, followed by nat. anthem at 1130 and

                        their "standard songs" // 9850 kHz,

                         recheck at 1150: good signal, another NK military song

9850 kHz    French      at 1129: ID-signal of VOK, followed by nat. anthem at 1130 and their "standard songs" // 6185 kHz,

                        poor to very poor signal

 

6170 kHz    French      at 1128: ID-signal of VOK, followed by nat. anthem at 1130 and their "standard songs" // 9435 kHz

9435 kHz    French      at 1128: same as // 6170 kHz, both 6170 & 9435 kHz // 6185 & 9850 kHz, Chinese heard on 9445 not 9435

Each programme of VOK starts with the national anthem, an identification in the respective language, followed by two NK military songs (first song of General Kim Il-sung and the one that usually follows it [I've forgotten its name] - you may find them under Youtube searching for "North Korea Propaganda").

After that I also monitored other services on the Korean peninsula

 3480 kHz    Voice of the People    at 1139: very strong signal, nearly no jamming audible

 3910 kHz    Voice of the People    at 1140: very strong signal, only slight NK noise jamming

 3930 kHz    Voice of the People    at 1140: strong signal, a bit more NK noise jamming than on // 3910

 4450 kHz    Voice of the People    at 1141: weak to fair signal, moderate NK noise jamming

 

 5830 khz    ???                    at 1142: strong to very strong NK noise jamming, but against whom...?

                                     frequency change of another clandestine broadcasting to NK?

Korean Central Broadcasting Station from Pyongyang monitored between 1155 and 1156:

 2850 kHz    at 1155:    fair to good signal, but humming, NK "folk" song (no military song) // 6100, 9665,11680

 6100 kHz    at 1155:    poor to fair signal, but humming, NK "folk" song (no military song) // 2850, 9665,11680

 9665 kHz    at 1156:    very poor signal but NK music audible, QRM Radio Taiwan International on 9660 kHz (no chinese jamming) // 2850, 6100,11680

11680 kHz    at 1156:    poor sognal, same programme as // 2850, 6100, 9665

As many other signals in East Asia were weaker than usual it might be of propagation issues lasting until around 1145 UTC. Later many signals became stronger except NK stations. Due to the cold winter weather here on the Korean peninsula NK may suffer from power shortages.

73, Manfred R. Reiff